Praise for
THE COSMIC CLUES
An Independent Mystery Booksellers Association
“Killer Book”
“One of the more original sleuths around… These stories are true puzzles in the grand old tradition that reaches back to Poe and Doyle… It’s all good fun, made even more enjoyable by an evocative portrait of modern life in India.” - Denver Post
“This is an intriguing first book in Prabhu’s mystery series. The flavor of her writing puts the reader in the middle of India, getting a taste of the customs, the food and the people… It’s like you are really experiencing it firsthand with her characters.”
- TheBestReviews.com
“I am completely captivated by this debut mystery. The sights and sounds and smells of exotic India are savored in each chapter… I predict a wonderful future for this series.”
- Kathy Harig, Mystery Loves Company bookstore
“Reminiscent of Alexander McCall Smith’s The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency… part of the detective genre’s journey into new geographic frontiers.”
- Indianexpress.com
“Different from a typical mystery, each chapter brings the reader a different story, a different set of characters… taught me a lot more than I expected about India, the general way of life and the mind-set of the Indian people. It was a great read.”
- www.roundtablereviews.com
“Manjiri Prabhu’s tale of a young Indian female detective solving cases with the help of astrology strikes the right balance between the logical and the whimsical, the mysterious and the fantastic. The author also highlights the depth, subtle nuances and tradition of the Hindu religion as well as the somewhat opposing Eastern and Western influences that somehow coexist harmoniously in Indian culture and its effect on young Indians, all through her able protagonist… This is one book that readers will not want to miss!”
- Curled Up With a Good Book
Published by Jaico Publishing House
A-2 Jash Chambers, 7-A Sir Phirozshah Mehta Road
Fort, Mumbai - 400 001
www.jaicobooks.com
© Manjiri Prabhu
STELLAR SIGNS
ISBN 978-81-8495-441-8
First Jaico Impression: 2014
No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Page design and layouts: Special Effects, Mumbai
To my sister Leena Prabhu,
the first writer who touched and inspired me…
Contents
CHAPTER I A New Neighbour
CHAPTER II Open Secrets
CHAPTER III Anything for Love
CHAPTER IV Cheating Destiny
CHAPTER V The Horoscope Trap
CHAPTER VI Checkmate
CHAPTER VII The Last Wish
CHAPTER VIII The Letters
Acknowledgements
About Manjiri Prabhu
CHAPTER I
A New Neighbour
A full moon pierced the low mist, spreading a silver sheen over the Stellar Investigations Office Building. Nidhi sat on the steps, looking royal in a blue velvet collar, her paws curled, her tail in a straight line behind her, and her whiskers twitching. The cat’s golden fur gleamed in the moonlight. Night crickets droned in the bushes.
Suddenly the droning in the night was punctuated by a rustling. Nidhi raised her head and picked up her ears. Her nose quivered as she sniffed the air. A figure had stolen into the Office premises - slipping cautiously towards the wall, clinging to the shadows and slowly and soundlessly making its way to the windows of the Office. The bright moonlight and the distilled shadows did little to hide the figure, draped in floating white. The intruder peered through the dark pane, moving agilely from window to window.
Nidhi watched, her eyes round and focused. Her hackles were up and she meowed angrily. The figure halted, its progress diverted by the animal sound. Slowly the intruder turned to face Nidhi, then with purposeful steps approached the cat.
The glow of a fluorescent peach dawn stained the sky. Birds whistled liltingly, as if practising a variety of melodious notes on a flute. Sparrows danced from the rust tree tops and bulbuls swooped down the Model Colony Lake. The water was a perfect mirror for the pearl-coloured clouds. Breeze whiffed in through the wide-open, blue-and-red-checked curtained windows of Sonia’s room.
Sonia sat cross-legged on a cream rug on the lawn-green tiled terrace floor, eyes closed, her breathing even. Her arms were stretched out and resting on her knees. She uttered the “Om” slow and long, the vibrations of the word tingling through her whole body. In the hazy light of dawn, she looked like a statue of gold. After several repetitions she stopped and opened her eyes. A smile of satisfaction touched her lips. She felt good! She always began her day with Yoga, a few Surya Namaskars - Sun Salutation, an excellent exercise that played homage to the sun - and Omkar - the chanting of the sacred word Om - a habit instilled in her by her mother. Followed by Praanaayaam - a rhythmic breathing technique - her morning routine never failed to invigorate her with the spirit of life.
Sonia rose and leaned against the wooden railing of the terrace, glancing down at the lake. The Samarth bungalow - a fancy structure of red brick, stone, and wood - stood back from the almost triangular body of water in the heart of the Shivajinagar area. Sonia loved her house. It afforded a wonderful view of the glistening water. She took another deep breath. It was a beautiful morning and she looked forward to going to her office. It was a brand-new day of hopes!
The January morning was cool and a weak sun glinted on the windowpanes. The brown leaves of the huge Banyan tree on FC Road carpeted the garden and the path which led to the steps of the Stellar Investigations Office. Sonia drove her van into the parking lot, threw an appreciative glance at nature’s untidiness, then hastened up the steps.
She paused at the door of the office and a look of pride flashed across her face. The new steel-and-copper nameplate announced Stellar Investigations in flowing writing. She gazed at it critically, gauging the impression it would create
